~The New Jerusalem~
~The New Jerusalem~
 ..PDF Version |
Chapter:# 42
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| Philip – Lover Of Horses |
And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When
Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith
unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to
prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two
hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them
may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith
unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small
fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down.
Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about
five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he
distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and
likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said
unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the
fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them
that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did,
said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
John 6:4-14
KJV
No man can
come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in
the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught of
God. Every one that hath heard from the Father, and hath learned, cometh unto
me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he that is from God, he hath
seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth hath eternal
life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and
they died. This is the bread which cometh down out of heaven, that a man may
eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven:
if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I
will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove one
with another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Jesus
therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the
flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves. He
that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise
him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. As
the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth
me, he also shall live because of me. This is the bread which came down out of
heaven: not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live
for ever. John
6:44-58 ASV
( 3 Visions )
( 1st Vision )
“I beheld the face of Philip
looking upon the face of Jesus. With a look of astonishment he received from
Jesus a morsel of bread which he took unto his own hand.”
( End 1st Vision )
( 2nd Vision )
“Then the Angel which showed
me these things held me in a place wherein I could see the nations on the earth
and a great war that was happening in the spirit over the world and all they
who dwell upon the earth. I saw a great red dragon that had been cast down to
the ground and stood with large legs and large spreading feet trampling upon
the peoples in the nations. The dragon trampled the peoples and nations and
tongues under foot in pursuit of the woman who was travailing to give birth. I
saw that the woman travailed to bring forth to the birth in present time, then
in time that is yet coming I saw that the woman gave birth to a man. The dragon
trampling upon the earth desired to consume this man in its mouth and to
destroy it. Above this scene I could see the Throne of Heaven and ONE who sat
upon the Throne, even the Ancient of Days. As soon as the man was born the Lord
upon the Throne caught him up to sit upon the Throne. The man was immediately
caught up and sat with the Lord upon the Throne to rule and reign over the
earth with the Lord. The dragon had no power over the man or the woman as it trampled
nations under its feet.” ( End Vision )
( 3rd Vision )
“I beheld the Overcomers in
the Lord as individual members who were still being prepared to fit in rank and
order in this manifestation the Lord is about to do. Each one had a measure of
idolatry in their hearts because of carnality that yet remained in them and as
a result they stood with doctrinal differences apart one from another. The
unity of the Spirit needed for this Overcoming company to come together was not
present, instead there were groups or individuals who were separate one from
another with large stone walls between them. The Lord was dealing with the
hearts of the Overcomers but there were still these large stone walls. But then
I saw that in parts of the separate places in either small groups or in
individuals there arose a spirit of praise unto the Lord. As praise ascended and
worship and singing unto the Lord the hearts would lose their grip on idolatry
and the fires and testings of the Lord would cleanse the dirty hearts. As the
praisers praised the Lord the walls eventually began to crack and crumble with
large pieces falling off here and there, finally the entire structure of all
the walls gave way and collapsed completely to dust and there was no more
division amongst the Sons and Daughters of God. Then they were able to come
together in unity with no wall of division any longer present in those that
Overcame.”
( End Vision )
When time is taken to study
the Word of the Lord and to wait before Him many things can come up which will
draw away our attention. For the most part the natural mind races away into
other thoughts rather than waiting solely upon the Lord and gathering all
thoughts unto Him. To think with a mind stayed upon the Lord seems to be the
most difficult thing to do for anyone professing a love for the Lord. Many
things have been taught to us over the years, many words of prophecy given,
many implications of how the Lord will move and what He will do, but it all
pales when we realize that our thoughts are still for the most part untamed.
Our minds are drawn continually into a war of thoughts. Keeping our thoughts
upon the Father is a deep challenge in this time of our modern world with so
many diversions available to us.
We have also heard many times
that judgment must begin at the house of the Lord. Peter who wrote this in 1
Peter 4:17 stated that this judgment must begin with us, and if it does begin
with us what will become of those that obey not the gospel? Have you ever asked
yourself why judgment must begin with the Lord’s house? What is it that the Lord is doing in our
lives to accomplish this judgment?
Very simple. He is bringing to
pass the finished work of Christ in us. Jesus said a few things to Philip
during the course of his training as a disciple, but one of them was the fact
that Christ was NOW judging the prince of this world that this prince would be
cast out. The Greeks came to Philip desiring him to give them an audience with
Jesus. It was with this seeking of the Christ that we have some phenomenal
statements by Jesus which lay out the path for they that would endure judgment
and overcome. “And there
were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same
came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him,
saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again
Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is
come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if
it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it;
and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If
any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my
servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. Now is my soul
troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this
cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice
from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The
people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others
said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not
because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall
the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die “
John 12:20-33 When
I look at the life of Philip, I see a man that endured specific challenges that
Jesus placed upon him and that because of these challenges he endured judgment
and became that evangelist that proclaimed Christ in the ancient world at that
time. His life when I look at it is a picture of judgment first coming to the
Lord’s house. That FIRST, those who would walk all the way with the Lord will
be judged SO THAT THEY WILL WALK RIGHT.
We are under the judgment of
the Lord at this present time, those who have turned their eyes unto the Lord
and who are taming their thoughts to think only upon Jesus. As you turn your
gaze, your thoughts, your eyesight only unto Jesus the fires of the Lord’s
judgments increase and you are judged. The fruit of this judgment is not
increased tribulation, harder trials, more disastrous circumstances or
insurmountable obstacles. The fruit of all the judgment you are enduring IS A
STRAIGHTER WALK, A WALK MORE CONFINED. For the one enduring the judgment of the
Lord is one who has less and less personal choice. Less to think about other
than the Lord Himself. Less to walk in that gives satisfaction other than to
praise and worship the Lord and to sing unto Him songs of inspiration that give
glory unto His holy name. The proof of YOU being under judgment is your
increase in your LACK OF FREEDOM. You are instead more and more confined to a
walk that is very straight, one foot in front of the other, and that there is
less and less sideways looking or turning or wavering. Instead your face
becomes set like a flint to the finished process of your personal cross and the
promise of receiving your own glorified body. It is not death you are racing
toward, it is life. And that life only comes by being constrained in judgment
which causes you to lose your personal freedom.
Philip had 4 basic challenges
given to him by the Christ.
1)
Jesus said “Follow Me”. “The day following Jesus would go forth into
2)
To show unto the Greeks the living Christ. “And there
were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same
came therefore to Philip, which was of
3)
To know that he who has seen
Jesus has seen the Father. “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also:
and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him,
Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I
been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that
hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the
Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the
words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth
in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father
in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater
works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye
shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the
Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. “John 14:7-14 Philip handled in reality the
very word of God.
4)
To share the gospel in the
regions of the ancient world as one who would evangelize men by the truth of
Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. “Then
the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.” Acts
8:29 It is
here that we see the result of the challenges Christ gave him and how he did
walk by the voice of the Lord that now spoke in him to evangelize in this
ancient world. He now is known as an Apostle, one who knew Christ in person and
saw Him in reality and now shared his gospel and atonement as one who endured
the testings he was once placed in.
When I look upon the
foundation of the New Jerusalem I see that one of the layers was to look upon
as the Beryl Stone, the judgment of the Lord. I relate this judgment to
Philip’s life and the challenges he faced and how he submitted himself unto
Jesus to be one with Him in His purposes in fulfilling the promise of
scripture. This is not a light thing. It is a very serious thing to know.
If the Lord were not to first
judge the house in which He lives, then when would we see Him move? For the
Lord will not bypass cleansing His house to simply judge the world, instead He
will fulfill that which Christ proclaimed and promised. This judgment we are in
which causes us to walk straight is the working out of that which Christ
proclaimed to Philip. And that promise was that the “prince of this world”, the
perdition of this life, IS CAST OUT. What is the perdition the Overcomer faces?
THE WANDERING MIND, THE MIND THAT IS NOT STAYED IN PEACE UPON THE LORD ALONE, A
MIND THAT IS FILLED WITH OTHER INTERESTS AND OTHER AMBITIONS OUTSIDE OF JESUS
ALONE. So Jesus cast out this prince of the world, this carnality by His
atonement. AND NOW THAT CASTING OUT IS BEING PRACTICALLY WORKED OUT IN THE
LIVES OF THEY THAT OVERCOME. How is this being worked out? BY THE OVERCOMER BECOMING
EMPTIED OF ALL THINGS EMOTIONALLY, AMBITION WISE AND IN THE DISATISFACTION OF
WORLDLY THOUGHTS. The “proof” that you are under judgment dear reader IS YOUR
LACK OF ANY PERSONAL AMBITION OTHER THAN TO KNOW JESUS IN FULLNESS. Everything
else simply falls off of you. Everything else simply becomes tarnished brass or
silver. Nothing else piques your interest anymore. Everything in this world
becomes a dead thing to you and there is nothing in this earth that holds your
interest. You are hungry ONLY FOR THE LORD. That dear reader IS PROOF THAT YOU
ARE BEING JUDGED.
Anyone who desires to walk in
Jesus will walk in judgment and in the laying down of their own self life.
Philip is an Apostle who
reveals spiritual progression. But that progression cannot happen unless it is
coupled with the judgment of the Lord. The result of the judgment of the Lord
will be the waning of worldly ambition and desire and the increase of the hope
of His coming Kingdom. Now do not confuse the waning of the things of the world
with your own personal artistry or creativity as a person. For the artistry of
ones life and the creativity that comes from the soul is not diminished, but
enhanced by the Lord’s judgment. The more one submits to the judgment of the
Lord, the more their personal artistic talent or ability becomes apparent as
someone created with particular gifts. However, those gifts of life WILL
BENEFIT THE BODY OF CHRIST. They are not just for personal fulfillment, but for
enhancing the experience of the believer who comes to the Lord to be made
whole. It is the ambition and the desire that is based ON CARNALITY that will
be removed. The ambition and desire that is based on A CREATIVE SPIRIT will be
enhanced and the result can only benefit the Body of Christ as a whole.
Philip’s name is worked then
into the foundational structure of The New Jerusalem as the Beryl Stone of
judgment. One who has endured the fires of testing, the scourging of daily
life, the nitty gritty of daily living and of meeting their natural needs in this
world by a job or earning wages. But at the same time they are judged according
to the Word of God to become entire and whole and with no measure of duality.
For our lives long TO SEE DUALITY END. This can only come by the judgment of
the Lord who is coming for a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any
such thing. “That He might present the church to Himself in glorious
splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy
and faultless].” Ephesians 5:27
AMPLIFIED
Philip was a lover of horses
for that is what his name meant. He loved that which gave him strength and gave
him beauty. And he had enough wisdom to realize that the strength and beauty he
needed had to come to him through the judgment of the Lord. He first saw this
in the life of Jesus who gave Himself for our trespasses upon the cross, that
was the standard and light that Philip walked in which gave him the strength of
horsemanship to endure judgment and to be a strong beautiful soldier of Christ.
So it is for they that overcome. They LONG FOR THIS JUDGMENT. Their prayer is
for judgment to touch every part of their life, every facet of their being so
that they can be found complete in the Christ with the prince of this world –
their own carnality – cast out. To the Overcomer this is the second best prize
they could have, the end of their own personal duality. When that duality ends,
they will also awake in their best most prize, glorified bodies with the unlimited full
measure of the Lord upon concentrated upon them, death having been consumed
because of the judgment of the Lord.
To be continued………….Kenneth B Visscher
Copyright